Board Urged League to Pull Games at Liberty University Over Falwell’s ‘End Those Muslims’ Remarks

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — A county school board in Virginia recently sent a letter to the Virginia High School League (VHSL) to urge the organization to discontinue hosting state championships at the Liberty University over President Jerry Falwell Jr.’s recent statements about “ending Muslims” with guns.

“We are deeply disturbed by the comments of Liberty University Chancellor Jerry Falwell, Jr. … urging more than 10,000 of his assembled students to obtain handguns and stating that ‘we could end those Muslims before they walked in,'” the letter from the Fairfax County School Board to the Charlottesville-based organization, dated April 28, reads.

As previously reported, some raised concern over the spirit of Falwell’s comments this past December, which were made in light of the San Bernardino massacre in California. Falwell urged students to obtain concealed carry permits so that they would be ready to take out Muslims intent on murder should they show up at Liberty University.

“I’ve always thought, if more good people had concealed carry permits, then we could end those Muslims before they walked in and killed them,” he stated, receiving unreserved applause.

“I just wanted to take this opportunity to encourage all of you to get your permit. We offer a free course,” he said. “Let’s teach them a lesson if they ever show up here.”

He went on to reTweet social media posts in support of his remarks, including one that read, “S*CK IT, Muslim extremists,” adding a link to the school’s gun course. The account of the original Tweeter is now unavailable.

But some, while noting that they support the Second Amendment, disagreed with the spirit and nature of how Falwell expressed his views.

“I think Falwell has made the situation more tense rather than less tense by his choice of language,” one online commenter wrote.

“I’m trying to imagine Jesus saying what Jerry Falwell Jr. said,” another stated. “I’m having trouble. I don’t think Jesus would be big on the tough talk or brag about the gun he’s carrying.”

The Fairfax County School Board especially took offense at Falwell’s remarks, and noted in its letter to VHSL that some students in the district recently chose to boycott the Virginia Debate Championship because it was held at Liberty University.

“We stand in solidarity with our students who chose to boycott the State Debate Championship on April 22-23 as a result of these comments,” it wrote. “At the same time, we find it unfair that our students were put in a position of forsaking their participation in a state championship because of the unwelcoming environment of the host institution.”

While the League ultimately voted on Thursday to move state championships from Liberty University, it says that the school board’s letter was not a deciding factor.

“The discussion was more about cost and travel time,” said Robert E. Lee Principal Mark Rowicki told the News Leader. “If one charges you $25,000 to use it, but another charges $15,000, most would vote for the less-expensive option.”

“We were trying to do this economically,” confirmed executive director Ken Tilly. “We were looking at moving events around, for geographic purposes to balance the events.”

However, Waynesboro High School Principal Tim Teachey did mention Falwell’s comments in telling reporters, “I think the VHSL has a history of working with Liberty, which has nice facilities and has always taken care of people at our event, but it’s hard to ignore comments from its leader that caused so much angst, and I understand the concerns of people around the state.”

Neither Rowicki or Teachey were present Thursday for the vote.

“I take the VHSL at its word when it stated … neither Liberty’s gun policy, nor my statements about the terrorist attack in San Bernardino had anything to do with the VHSL’s decision,” Falwell said in a statement following the decision.

He told reporters in December following controversy over his remarks that he didn’t regret his statements per se, but would have inserted the word “extremists” to clarify.

A special message from the publisher...

Dear Reader, our hearts are deeply grieved by the ongoing devastation in Iraq, and through this we have been compelled to take a stand at the gates of hell against the enemy who came to kill and destroy. Bibles for Iraq is a project to put Arabic and Kurdish audio Bibles into the hands of Iraqi and Syrian refugees—many of whom are illiterate and who have never heard the gospel.Will you stand with us and make a donation today to this important effort? Please click here to send a Bible to a refugee >>

Commenting Guidelines: We welcome readers to comment on stories, but we will not tolerate remarks containing profanity, vulgarity, violence, blasphemy, all caps or any discourteous behavior. Thank you for your cooperation in maintaining a respectful public environment where readers can engage in reasonable discussion about matters affecting our nation and our world.Read More →

softengine

@ Heather Clark – Liberty is in Lynchburg, not C’ville.

Joshua Krug

I don’t see the issue being a Muslim or a Christian one, for the fact that Muslims have chosen a side and so has Christianity. I see it being made an issue by those unwilling to make a choice, who neither want to yell “Allahu Akbar,” or confess their sins and repent of their deeds. By this they create conflict for everyone, a true scourge.

Madmouse

What rubbish….

201821208 :)

thereligionofpeace dot com/pages/games-muslims-play dot htm

Peter Leh

““I’ve always thought, if more good people had concealed carry permits,
then we could end those Muslims before they walked in and killed
them,” he stated, receiving unreserved applause.”

I mean this is the heart of the gospel, right jerry jr?

gizmo23

He sounds like Ted Nugent

Peter Leh

who slept with underage girls.

Ahh,… the good ole days. 🙂

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/fisherhl Mr. Avatar

Only the strong survive or the weak protected by the strong. This should be common sense – protect the ones you love. Without guns, we would not have a country, wake up.

Peter Leh

seems odd though coming from a preacher tell us to love our enemies with one hand and a pistol in the other….

exchanging religion for politics has always undermined the american church, imo

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/fisherhl Mr. Avatar

I know of no precedent for the idea that we are called to surrender the lives of others, such as our spouse, children, or neighbors in response to a deadly attack.

Peter Leh

neither do i.

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/fisherhl Mr. Avatar

One may destroy a man who makes war upon him, for the same reason that he may kill a wolf or a lion; because such men are not under the ties of the commonlaw of reason, have no other rule, but that of force and violence, and so may be treated as beasts of prey, those dangerous and noxious creatures, that will be sure to destroy him whenever he falls into their power.

gizmo23

Chilling and frightening ideas

Get Breaking Christian News in Your Inbox!

Sign Me Up! Top Daily Top Weekly

Christian News Headlines

Keep your site fresh and your visitors coming back by featuring Christian News Network's top news stories on your site. Learn more →

Connect With Us:

Learn More

About Christian News Network

Christian News Network provides up-to-date news and information affecting the body of Christ worldwide from an uncompromising Biblical worldview. Our objective is to present the news with the word of God as our lens, and to bring to light what is hid in the darkness. Learn more →